Welcome to the first of many Foodie Fridays where I’ll be sharing my favorite recipes from seasonal to hormone supporting to gut health and beyond! Today is all things pumpkin and my favorite pumpkin cookies!

When you think pumpkin maybe the first things that come to mind are pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie and pumpkin candies but in it’s natural state pumpkin is incredibly nourishing. It is packed full of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin K, & Beta Carotene. Pumpkin is also a very calming food for your gut lining and due to it’s vitamin C, A & Beta Carotene content is also awesome for keeping your immune system top notch as we head into the cooler fall months.

Traditional, seasonal pumpkin products tend to be packed full of highly refined grains and sugars-which in moderation can absolutely fit into a healthy lifestyle-but if you’re a giant pumpkin fan like me and want to eat it everyday you may be on the lookout for some options that help your body feel strong and empowered all season long.

A few ways I like to enjoy pumpkin are mixed into stews, in combination with yogurt/cottage cheese, vanilla & berries, in pastas, smoothies, and my favorite almond pumpkin cookies. 

And yes, you can 100% have pumpkin cookies and still hit those nutritional goals you’re aiming for. One of my favorite ways to optimize the nutrient quality of a recipe is to look for simple ways I can swap more traditional baking ingredients for ones with a richer nutrition profile. Think what can I add or swap instead of what am I removing or limiting from my plate. A mindset of abundance will always go further than a mindset of restriction. For example, swapping all purpose flour for oat, coconut, or almond flour is an awesome way to get more fiber in your baked goods. I also like to swap granulated sugars for less processed options like maple syrup, coconut sugar, or honey. When it comes to sweeteners, sugar is sugar but providing your body with options that are less processed can aid it in its digestion. I also like to cut the suggested sugar in half in a recipe and add a bit more of the seasonings. I started doing this a few years ago, and honestly cannot taste the difference in my baked goods at all! When it comes to fat sources in baked goods I recommend aiming for a grass fed butter or coconut oil as a swap for vegetable oil. Fats are incredibly important in the absorption of all those amazing fat soluble vitamins in pumpkin like A & K so don’t be shy to keep fat in those cookies, but aim for an option your body knows how to utilize. 

Perhaps the fall chill is in the air for you this Friday and you find yourself in a baking mood, do your immune system, skin, and gut health and favor and whip up these pumpkin cookies! Happy baking!

Ingredients

• 1 cup canned or fresh unsweetened pumpkin 
• 2/3 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup butter-softened 
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixer, combine butter, coconut sugar and maple syrup. Once combined add egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Once incorporated, add the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Scoop cookies onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. I recommend removing from the oven when the cookies are still very soft as they will set a bit more while cooling.